General
A selection of the week's happenings to aid your prayers
Society & Politics
- Scottish hate crime bill draws criticism: The SNP’s proposed hate crime bill would have drastic impacts on freedom of speech. Read more here. It is drawing criticism from many quarters, including the Church, Scotland’s police, law society and Labour Party.
- UK anti-Semitism remains high despite Covid: Though the number of reported incidents for the first half of 2020 was less than the same period in 2019, anti-Semitic sentiment is still at near-record levels in the UK. Read more here.
- Govt in court over DIY abortion policy: Christian Concern is pursuing legal action against the Government for introducing the policy, arguing that it endangers women. Read more here.
World Scene
- US economic downturn: Covid-19 has caused a big economic slump in the USA, with outlook for the rest of the year looking poor. Read more here. Civil unrest continues in cities across America. Read more here and here. Meanwhile, left-wing billionaire George Soros is investing a record $52m into Democratic campaigns and causes ahead of November’s Presidential election. Read more here.
- Poland to withdraw from Istanbul Treaty: Poland has announced that it will be withdrawing from the Council of Europe’s treaty which requires signatory governments to promote gender theory. Read more here.
- Anti-Christian attacks in France up 285% in ten years: Recorded incidents of persecution in France, on both Christians and Christian buildings, have spiked between 2008 and 2019, according to the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians in Europe. Read more here.
- Google working on smart tattoo: The tech giant has announced that it is working on wearable technology which would embed smart sensors into the skin, which can be activated by touching or swiping, like a smartphone. Read more here.
- World Rugby finds own trans policies ‘not fit for purpose’: The institution is reportedly considering banning men who identify as women from playing women’s rugby, out of concern for the physical safety of female players. Read more here.
Israel & Middle East
- IDF on high alert on northern border: Tensions on Israel’s border with Lebanon have been escalating in recent days, after a failed Hezbollah attack. Read more here.
- Anti-govt protests intensify in Israel: Protestors are continuing to take to the streets in Israel, protesting the Government’s handling of Covid-19. Read more here.
Events
- Virtual tour of the Sea of Galilee (Monday 3 August): Join the Israel Tourist Office and Worldwide Christian Travel for a special virtual tour. 7pm UK time. Places limited, register here.
Recommended Sources
At Prophecy Today UK we are aware that the world is moving very quickly and it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments – especially when the material circulated by our mainstream media is increasingly far from reality and definitely not devoted to a biblical perspective! Though we are not a news service, we want to help keep you informed by passing on updates and reports as we are led. This will be a selective, not an exhaustive, round-up, which we hope will be helpful for your prayers. Click here to browse our News archive.We recommend the following news services for regular updates from a Christian perspective:
- Christian Concern (UK)
- Christian Institute (UK)
- JNN News (Barry and Batya Segal, Israel)
- Worthy News (Israel)
- Family Watch International
- Barnabas Fund
- Kehila News (Israel)
For regular news briefings about Israel, the Jewish News Syndicate is also recommended.
